The UN-backed Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic has begun the trial in absentia of former president François Bozizé over allegations of crimes against humanity committed during his rule. The proceedings, which involve Central African and foreign judges, concern alleged crimes carried out by members of Bozizé’s security forces between 2009 and 2013.
Bozizé, 79, has been living in exile in Guinea-Bissau since March 2023 after a political and military career marked by coups, armed conflicts and attempts to regain power. He first seized control of the Central African Republic in a 2003 coup before being removed from office a decade later by a rebel coalition.
The charges against Bozizé include allegations of murder, enforced disappearance, torture and rape committed by members of his Presidential Guard. The Special Criminal Court issued an international arrest warrant for Bozizé in February 2024 as part of an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity at a civilian prison and a military training centre in the central town of Bossembele.
Judges investigating the case concluded there was “serious and consistent evidence” against Bozizé that could establish his criminal responsibility as a hierarchical superior and military leader. The former president is being tried in absentia because he remains outside the jurisdiction of the court.
Three former senior military officers linked to Bozizé’s administration, Eugene Barret Ngaikosset, Vianney Semndiro and Firmin Junior Danboy, are currently being held in pre-trial detention in the Central African Republic. Their cases are part of the wider proceedings connected to the alleged crimes.
The trial is being conducted by the Special Criminal Court, a hybrid judicial body based in the capital Bangui that includes both Central African and international judges. The court has authority to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the country since 2003, covering a period marked by civil wars and political instability following independence from France in 1960.
Bozizé’s removal from power in 2013 by the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition triggered a civil war that caused widespread violence across the country. In response, Bozizé established militias known as anti-Balakas, which were largely made up of Christians and animists, in an effort to regain influence.
Thousands of civilians were killed during the conflict, and the United Nations has accused both sides of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. The violence contributed to continued instability in one of the world’s poorest countries.
At the end of 2020, Bozizé took control of a new rebel alliance, the Coalition of Patriots for Change, which challenged the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera. The advance of the group was later pushed back after Russia deployed hundreds of paramilitaries from the Wagner private mercenary company in support of government forces.
Following the failed rebellion, Bozizé fled into exile, first in neighbouring Chad and later in Guinea-Bissau. In September 2022, he was sentenced in absentia to forced labour for life for conspiracy, rebellion and murder. The latest proceedings before the Special Criminal Court focus on separate allegations of crimes against humanity.
